Halo

"The crucial part of painting a Halo is finding the right state of mind. I need to be completely focussed, grounded, and present in the moment. A slip in concentration and I can overload with paint or splatter and lose the piece.

I generally start by cleaning and tidying the studio. I clear the floor of all other work and sweep. It’s a way for me to start focussing in, letting go of the chatter in my mind. I concentrate on my breath and combine yoga into my movements. I work to release tension in my shoulders and open my hips. I need to be able to hold my hand perfectly still with the airbrush millimetres away from the spinning canvas. I imagine spirals travelling up and down my spine and loosen my neck. I move into Surya Namaskar and salute the sun.

Airbrushes and guns cleaned, I begin mixing the paint, adding water, filtering, adjusting fluidity and air pressure until I can spray the finest of lines. Some days it seems impossible to attain the line. Once spraying well, I begin. I set the canvas spinning, always clockwise, and from a slight distance float almost invisible circles over the surface, until I have found where I want to place the Halo.

I then move in closer and find a stance where I can hold the airbrush without a tremor. I adjust flow and pressure with my index finger as I slowly build up the layers of acrylic -- too much paint and the line can be lost. Always test how the airbrush is spraying before moving to the canvas.

As the line gains strength, I switch to a larger gun and begin to sculpt the sphere. I cannot see the paint hit the spinning surface, it’s as if I’m painting with light. I’m looking for a balance, a resonant visual tension where the painting begins to sing. Some Halos are bright and sing loudly, some have a softer more gentle voice.

I take the painting down from my spinning machine (a converted old wood turning lathe) and hang it on the wall. Occasionally no further painting is needed, but usually, I will need to make some careful adjustments. This is probably the hardest part, and I will often continue to work on the piece over a period of days, fine tuning until nothing catches my eye."

-Oliver Marsden